Pollution Damage and Debris Removal Coverage
How Debris Removal Insurance Coverage Can Impact the Property Claim
A tornado tears through a small Midwestern community, ripping the roof off the main plant of a large paint manufacturer and the debris from those operations has blown onto the paint manufacturer’s premises. Further complicating matters is the fact that dyes and other chemicals used in making the paints have leaked outside the plant, contaminating the ground and water supply. Suddenly, the magnitude and nature of the loss are much different than originally believed.
The insured, their broker and the adjuster are now facing a much more difficult task in determining what’s covered, what’s not – and what better insurance protection might have been available when the debris removal coverage was arranged.
When calculating the many costs involved in repairing or restoring property following its destruction or damage, keep in mind that the costs of debris removal from the damaged property and the cleanup of possible pollution resulting from the property damage are in addition to – rather than a part of – the value of the damaged property.
As such, their possible impact on the total amount of the loss, and the coverage limitations on these costs in most standard property insurance policies are frequently overlooked in arranging the coverage initially. Often the result in such cases is disappointment, with the recovery made under the insurance policy after a loss occurs.
Anticipating losses that may result from debris removal or pollution damage, and understanding the coverages that can protect against them are essential considerations in structuring adequate debris removal insurance coverage. This can make the difference between a devastating disappointment and a complete recovery after a loss occurs.
This issue of Adjusting Today provides and in-depth discussion about the many debris removal coverage and pollution damage issues which can affect a property insurance claim.
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Adjusting Today is provided free of charge as a public service by Adjusters International, Inc., disaster recovery consultants. It is provided for general information and is not intended to replace professional insurance, legal and/or financial advice for specific cases.
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